Prominent doctor found negligent

A Canberra woman has been awarded at least $140,000 in damages after the ACT Supreme Court found a prominent Canberra doctor was negligent in her treatment.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Andrew Foote is a past president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in the ACT and well respected in the medical community.

The court found he was negligent when he operated on a woman and damaged her right ureter in 2004.

The woman went to Dr Foote suffering complications from earlier surgery for a prolapsed uterus.

Dr Foote operated and the court found that he unnecessarily removed the woman's womb.

The damage caused complications which required emergency surgery and left the woman with ongoing health problems.

Justice Margaret Sidis found that the urinary tract damage, as well as the development of a hole in the woman's vagina, and complications in the bowel which occurred as a consequence, were all due to Dr Foote's negligence.

A second Canberra woman is also complaining about her treatment by Dr Foote.